City Council Votes To Bring More Billboards, Electronic Ads To San Jose

Bay City News Service

Published
8:28 pm PDT, Wednesday, September 26, 2018

SAN JOSE (BCN)

San Jose residents may see an increase in billboards and electronic advertisements after the City Council voted Tuesday to allow signage on city-owned property.

The move lifts a citywide ban on billboards implemented in the 1970s and 80s due to highway beautification laws, according to the proposal.

The decision applies to "off-site signage", which refers to advertisements that are not located in the same place as the business, like a storefront.

The City Council voted 9-2 in favor of the plan, with Mayor Sam Liccardo voting against the amendment. In a memorandum to the council earlier this week, he advocated for a limited proposal that would involve more community input and exclude research into privately-owned sites.

"The City Council had good reason for halting commercial billboards in 1985, when out of-control proliferations of billboards had created significant negative impacts to the aesthetic appearance of our neighborhoods," he wrote in the memorandum. "We must be careful to avoid the mistakes of the past, and consider its lessons."

The majority of the City Council accepted the proposal, which says increased billboards could bring the city revenue of about $200,000 annually.